House Training Your New Puppy

In many ways, our pets are in our lives to show us unconditional love. Training puppies is not really a matter of conquering their wills, then, because they already want to please us. They can get confused, however, when we are inconsistent, when we use too many complicated commands, or when we overreact to situations where they simply don't know any better. The best way to avoid having stressed out puppies (and owners) is to begin their training right away - as soon as they come through the door of their new home - and stick with it in a consistent, patient and loving way.

The first step is to designate an area for your puppy to eliminate outside. Dogs are instinctive pack animals, which means that they naturally follow directives; also, they like knowing that a certain area is "theirs". Taking control of choosing where your puppy will do his business, then, will ease his mind as much as yours. Just don't expect spectacular results the first time. Take your puppy out on a leash to the spot and wait. If he sits down, move about so that he understands that this is time for business, not relaxation.

When he finally goes, praise him while he is in the act. Dogs have little sense of past and future. They live in the moment, so if we want to reinforce certain good behaviors we have to do it right as they're occurring. The same goes for any other kind of command, as well. Praises, warnings, and corrections should all be given when the action in question is actually taking place. Once you've settled upon certain catchphrases that you like using for commands, stick with them.